Saturday, September 28, 2013

Deviled Eggs with Curry and Cilantro

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I was an adult before I had a deviled egg. For whatever reasons, they were never prepared in the kitchens of my childhood. I suspect these may be one of those dishes that has regional, rather than national appeal and I was raised in an area where they were not widely popular. While I enjoyed my first deviled egg, I was never moved to reproduce them in my own kitchen. I sat in on a planning meeting for a picnic this week, and deviled eggs were mentioned as a possible menu item. I feel badly now, because I was the one who squashed the idea of serving them. I have a "thing" about dishes made with mayonnaise being served on occasions where there is no refrigeration, and, in arguing my point of view I was way more vociferous than was necessary. These eggs were my way of apologizing to the woman whose toes I stepped on. She liked them, so I thought those of you who enjoy deviled eggs might want to give them a try. The eggs have a hint of curry and are wonderfully fragrant. I found the recipe in Nancie McDermott's The Curry Book and I can recommend the eggs and the book to you. These eggs will never win a beauty contest, but if you are looking for a new twist on an old favorite, I think you'll like them. It is probably best to use a mild curry powder to prepare them. Here's the recipe.

Deviled Eggs with Curry and Cilantro...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Nancie McDermott

Ingredients:

8 large eggs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon mild curry powder

1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large scallion, thinly sliced crosswise

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

Directions:

1) Place eggs in a medium-sized saucepan and cover them with water. Bring to a full boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for eight minutes longer. Remove from heat. Drain and rinse in two changes of cold water. Leave eggs in water until cool.

3) Peel eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out yolks and force through a sieve. Add to mayonnaise mixture and mix well. Fold in scallions and cilantro. Stuff each egg with one tablespoon filling. Serve at once, or cover and chill until ready to serve. Yield: 16 deviled eggs.